Professional photos... how many poses?

Please help!

Personally - I don't want too many posed photographs at my wedding so I'm getting a photojournalist but I'll do my best to give you advice...

http://www.russellandhazel.com/content/wedding-templates

Scroll Down to #33 - PHOTO SHOT LIST - It'll give you an idea on a typical shot list. A lot of couples choose to do some pictuers before the ceremony - so they're not on a strict time constraint while their guests are at happy hour. If you have a lot of pretty backgrounds for after the ceremony I would just wait. :o)

It really depends. How many formal photos do you want with both sides of the family, and all the bridesmaids/groomsmen, with the family..? I'm here to tell you, a few, but not excessive. Everyone thinks that they need all of these photos with aunts, uncles, and moving on down the line, but they don't ever buy them.

45 minutes if on the same grounds is a nice amount of time. We generally knock out the family stuff and take off with the wedding players. After some with them we try to find another location on the site to take pictures of the couple. This is honestly probably the first time you will have with just the two of you since the service. You'll appreciate that, and get some great natural captures!

If your event spans into the "Golden Hour" we try to snag the couple for a few more photos in that time frame for 10-15 minutes.

Do not go excessive on your required shot list. It's no fun having to sit here and look at a five page client provided list, you limit creativity.

I'm actually really, really lucky - my photographer is giving me all the photos on dvd. I'll then buy any prints through him at the regular store prices. (As I said, I used to work for him, so he's being nice. ) My FH's family, especially, is really close... so I know a ton of people want pics with him (and me!)...

How many different poses can you realistically have during 45-60 minutes?

This is really a tough question to answer, especially with what you've provided. I'm running post processing right now on a wedding. If you're photographer has an assistant the large group formals will go much more quickly. In an hour, we did all the formals, one photographer ran back inside to get the cocktail hour while the other did the bridesmaids photos at a different site. The girls left, and we took the groomsmen for another location shoot. They left and we took the couple to shoot at two more sites.

You can't really call it a pose, because we try to shoot somewhat naturally, give an idea of where we want the couple and tell them to be somewhat natural. A kiss, arm embrace, etc.

I am planning 30 mins with me and my family.. 30mins with the groom and his family.. then 30 mins after for full wedding parties and full family photos. not caring to much about different poses

45 to 60 minutes...are you talking group shots or just shots of you and your DH?

Additionally, backgrounds, although pretty, aren't what should really be considered in photography, but rather light quantity and quality. I will have a bride with a gorgeous altar, say, and while I do take the required photos there during the ceremony, I move the formals elsewhere.

The altar background is beautiful, but sometimes very dark, or shadowy with spotlights, or we can't fit everyone there depending on the width of the pews/aisle.

After the ceremony, I allot 45 minutes for the following at the altar or on the grounds of the ceremony site:

B/G/Officiant

B/G/Bride's Parents

B/G/Both sets of Parents

B/G/Bride's immediate family

B/G/Bride's extended family (one shot and everyone in such as aunts, grandma, etc)

B/G/Groom's Parents

B/G/Groom's immediate family

B/G/G's extended family

This list becomes MUCH more complicated if there are divorces, remarriages, or additional shots requested....

(contd) After those shots are done, I do:

Bridal party at altar/ceremony site with bride and groom

Bride and groom at altar

The list above (starting with Officiant and ending with bride and groom at altar) takes 45 minutes to be safe. A good rule of thumb is allow 5 minutes per image. Someone will wander off, it takes five minutes for people to make their way back inside, someone is using the restroom, etc.

Then, we take the bridal party and bride and groom alone and work with them for 45 minutes at another location, or in a more casual setting.

My short answer to your question is, in 45 to 60 minutes, you can do 9 to 12 different combinations of people, less if they are very large shots and more if they are small combinations of people.

We're not taking any photos at the church after the ceremony - we're going to head out near our reception site and take some photos there. (We were going to have pics taken on the boardwalk by the beach, but it was destroyed from Irene... we have some other options that we already know about within about 5 minutes from the reception venue, but we're not in the area, so we'll be picking the location 2 days before the wedding!) Anyway, they'll be group photos... people to be included are...

- Us (obviously )

- 4 parents

- 5 grandparents

- 4 BM

- 4 GM

- 1 Jr BM

- 2 FG

- 1 RB

- And some random family members... I think 4 aunts and 2 uncles

We've also made the combos more interesting 'cause I have 2 guys and 2 girls on my side and same with my FH. And the Jr. BM is his cousin and the RB is my cousin... oh the craziness. There are just so many possibilities that I have (and want) that I know I'm going to need to cut them down, so I'm trying to do that...

(cont)

I also have 30 minutes of photo time planned into the schedule before the ceremony, so I guess we can get some of the combos out of the way then... I really wanted to pretty backgrounds, but I guess the people are really the most important part of the pics, right?

So the people above are whom I'm trying to fit into 45-60 minutes. And of course I want to leave a good 15+ minutes of that time for just us too. We do have a decent ride between the church and pictures though and we opted to have just us in the limo, so we'll have had some private time for just us already.

What I'd suggest you do after the ceremony is:

B/G/bride's parents

B/G/groom's parents

B/G/both sets of parents

B/G/all grandparents

B/G/extended (aunts and uncles or cousins you mentioned)

B/G/whole bridal party (3 shots or so)

which leaves about 15 minutes for the B/G alone.

I would not do "Bride and groom and 1st bridesmaid," "bride and groom and cousin Ned and aunt Sally," "bride with just the jr bridesmaid," "groom with just bride's mom," etc.

You simply have no time for those combinations. Is that 45-60 minutes supposed to include travel? You really only have time for the very simple combinations I've outlined above, in my opinion, unless you are willing to do some of them at the reception inside the hall.

I have to say I agree with Kristen. Keep your formals list to a minimum. You can always get more group shots during the reception. Take advantage of the time you have to get shots with your new husband. You can knock some of the wedding party photos out before the ceremony. You can count on approximately 5 minutes for each combination of people...and that's assuming you don't have to chase anyone down. If you let those involved know they need to stick around and be ready to go...your formals will go more quickly, leaving time for you and your new spouse!

Many of my couples that do a First Look get all the formals out of the way before the ceremony. This works great and leaves time for shots between the ceremony and reception.